,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #af  ,,in ,,the       
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,october #be1 #bjba,mr4 ,van ,hollen    
7for himself and ,mr4 ,rubio7 submitted 
the following concurrent resolution2    
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,relations  ,,concurrent       
,,resolution  ,commemorating the #cjth  
anniversary of ,operation ,provide      
,comfort4  ,whereas1 after the uprising 
against ,saddam ,hussein in ,march      
#aiia1 ,hussein turned tanks and        
helicopter gunships on the defenseless  
citizens of ,iraqi ,kurdistan2 ,whereas1
 overwhelmed by the superior firepower  
of the ,hussein regime1 and having      
already experienced the genocidal death 
of approximately #bjj1jjj ,iraqi ,kurds1
 the wanton destruction of approximately
 #d1ejj ,iraqi ,kurdish villages1 and   
deadly chemical bombardment1 hundreds of
 thousands of ,iraqi ,kurdish men1      
women1 and children fled to the northern
 and eastern borders of ,iraq1 fearing  

that the regime would use poison gas    
against them1 as during the ,anfal      
campaign and in ,halabja only #c years  
before2 ,whereas1 at one point in the   
early days of the #aiia refugee crisis1 
the daily death toll of fleeing ,iraqi  
,kurds exceeded #a1jjj1 with victims    
having no time to gather any possessions
 or winter protective gear and thus     
succumbing to exposure1 malnutrition1   
and disease2 ,whereas the ,united       
,states1 in response to the unfolding   
human catastrophe1 led what became the  
largest humanitarian operation of its   
kind ever1 ,operation ,provide ,comfort1
 delivering humanitarian relief and     
enforcing a no-fly zone2 ,whereas       
,operation ,provide ,comfort saved the  
lives of countless thousands of ,iraqi  
,kurds from near certain death on the   
freezing and rugged border mountains of 
,iraqi ,kurdistan2 ,whereas1 to this    
day1 ,iraqi ,kurds credit ,united       
,states-led ,operation ,provide         
,comfort1 particularly the no-fly zone  

that protected the ,iraqi ,kurdish      
people until #bjjc1 for helping support 
security and stability in ,iraqi        
,kurdistan2 ,whereas ,iraqi ,kurdistan  
has long served as a safe haven for     
people fleeing conflict and religious   
and political persecution2 and ,whereas 
the ,kurdistan ,regional ,government and
 the ,kurdish ,peshmerga remain         
steadfast partners of the ,united       
,states in the fight against extremism  
and terrorism3 ,now1 therefore1 be it   
,that ,congress-- 7#a7 commemorates the 
#cjth anniversary of ,operation ,provide
 ,comfort2  7#b7 recognizes and honors  
the heroic soldiers1 diplomats1         
political leaders1 and coalition        
partners of the ,united ,states who     
implemented ,operation ,provide         
,comfort2  7#c7 recognizes and honors   
the bravery of the nearly #b1jjj1jjj    
,iraqi ,kurdish women1 children1 and men
 who struggled to survive starvation and
 exposure1 welcomed the aid that came1  
and embraced the opportunity for a new  

life2  7#d7 encourages ,iraqi ,kurdish  
leaders to continue to uphold the values
 of democracy1 human rights1 and freedom
 that have made ,iraqi ,kurdistan an    
oasis in a troubled region2 and  7#e7   
reaffirms-- 7,a7 the strong partnership 
between the ,united ,states and the     
,iraqi ,kurds1 which exists in          
complementarity with the ,united ,states
 strong partnership with the ,government
 of ,iraq2 and  7,b7 the enduring       
respect and support of ,congress for    
,iraqi ,kurdish friends of the ,united  
,states who courageously stand with the 
,united ,states in shared opposition to 
extremism and terrorism4